News Release

07/03/2012

Independence Day 2012 - On the Anniversary of The Great Experiment

By Attorney General Scott Pruitt -

Why did our nation’s Founding Fathers risk everything? What were they aiming to achieve?

They wanted to build a system of government that provided – for every American – an opportunity to dream, to achieve, to pursue, to fail, to explore, to live, to worship and to obtain objectives through self-determination, perseverance, hard work and merit.

They wanted to build a nation where its citizens can aspire to greatness without hindrance by kings, princes and royal governors, who possess their title simply by virtue of their name or tribute paid to a Monarchy.

What America’s Founders initiated was an idea that this thing we call “government” is about the individual, not the collective. It is about saying to the “one:” you possess all opportunity to pursue your own destiny, and as you achieve your destiny, the state shall not confiscate it, because it does not own it. American citizens have the opportunity to achieve stations in life better than the ones they inherited. We possess the opportunity to govern ourselves and to seek the unique dream God placed in our hearts and, through effort and hard work, achieve and possess it.

This is unique to America. It was unique and exceptional in 1776. It remains unique today. It was so grand, so exceptional, that few men originally were willing to risk it all to obtain the dream, to become the masters of their destiny.

Today, that dream is at risk. As we celebrate the anniversary of our Great Experiment, let us remember the commitment to freedom and liberty that many Americans take for granted, and rededicate ourselves to preserving this Nation.